Unemo M, Shipitsyna E, Domeika M and the Eastern European Sexual and Reproductive Health (EE SRH) Network Antimicrobial Resistance Group. Gonorrhoea surveillance, laboratory diagnosis and antimicrobial susceptibility testing of Neisseria gonorrhoeae in 11 countries of the eastern
part of the WHO European region. APMIS 2011.Quality‐assured worldwide surveillance of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Neisseria gonorrhoeae is crucial for public health purposes. In the countries of the eastern part of the WHO European region the knowledge regarding gonococcal
AMR is limited, and antimicrobials of many different types, sources and quality are used for gonorrhoea treatment. This study surveyed gonorrhoea incidence, laboratory diagnosis and gonococcal AMR testing in 11 independent countries of the former Soviet Union. The national gonorrhoea incidences
remain mainly high. In general, gonococcal culture and AMR testing were rarely performed, poorly standardized and rarely quality assured. To establish a gonococcal AMR surveillance programme in Eastern Europe, i.e. the geographical area of the former Soviet Union, several actions have recently
been undertaken by the Eastern European Sexual and Reproductive Health (EE SRH) Network and the WHO. The information provided herein will be useful in this respect.